Stapling machine

ABSTRACT

This stapling machine embodies two improvements over prior staplers. It has means to prevent the lower front ends of the side walls of the staple magazine body from spreading apart. It also has means to prevent the lower end of the driven staples from swinging rearwardly, when using short staples, such as are used when stapling insulated electric wires to a base.

United States Patent Abrams 11 June 19, 1973 [54] lsTAPLlNG MACHINE2,603,782 7 1952 Spencer 227 132 2,671,215 3/1954 Abram 227 I32 [75]lnvemo Abrams Great Neck 2,754,515 7 1956 King.... 2271132 [73]Assignee: Arrow Fastener Co Inc Saddle 3,182,878 5 1965 Abrams 227 120 xBrook, NJ. Primary Examiner-Granville Y. Custer, .Ir. Filfidl June 30,mgy Felshin [21] App1.No.: 158,412

[57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S.Cl. 227/120, 227/132 This pling machine embodiestwo improvements [51] Int. Cl. B251: 5/06 Over pri pl r I h s means toprevent the lower [58] Field of Search 227/109, 120, 132, front e of eSide alls of the staple magazine body 227/134, 146 from spreading apart.It also has means to prevent the lower end of the driven staples fromswinging rear- [5 6] Referen e Cited wardly, when using shortstaples,such as are used when UNITED STATES PATENTS stapling insulated electricwires to a base.

2,617,097 11/1952 Spencer 227/132 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures 2a y f 97I! g; 1 1 9/ 4" 1 1 1' 1 Z!-= /flZ r ,63 ,1! 2 4v! I 22 F 1' w M Z706,\"1

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PATENIEB .m I a ma SIEEIIUZ INVENTOR.

PAIENImJumma 3.739873 sum 2 ur 2 f ENVEIZNTOR.

F IG. 7 flaw/s 48164415 STAPLING MACHINE This invention relates tostapling machines.

An object of this invention is to improve stapling machines such asshown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,754,515 dated July 17, 1955 and U.S. Pat. No.2,671,215 dated Mar. 9, 1954.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stapling machine of thecharacter described having means to prevent the front lower ends of theside walls of the staple magazine body from spreading apartwhile drivingstaples.

Still another object of this invention is to provide in a staplingmachine of the character described, means to prevent the lower ends ofthe driven staples, which are substantially shorter than the height ofthe magazine body, from swinging rearwardly as they are moved down bythe plunger, below the staple strip, and before they start penetratingthe base or work piece.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a strong, rugged anddurable staple machine of the character described, which shall berelatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to operate, safe in use andwhich shall yet be practical and efficient to a high degree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown various illustrativeembodiments of this invention,

FIG. 1 is a vertical side elevational view of a staple machine embodyingthe invention, with parts broken away and in cross-section;

F162 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1; I

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the stapling machine shown in FIG.1.

FIG. 4 is a partial, cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5 -5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6. I

Referring now in detail to the drawing, reference numeral 10 designatesa spring-actuated type of stapler embodying the invention. The stapler10 is similar to that disclosed in said prior U.S. Pat. nos. 2,754,515and 2,671,215, except for the novel staple magazine and several otherfeatures of construction, described hereinbelow and reference is herebymade to said prior patents for a more detailed disclosure of the staplermechanisrn which is common to both said prior patents as well as to thepresent stapler.

The stapler 10 comprises a body or housing 11 comprising a pair ofsimilar, symmetrically disposed parts 12' having meeting edges 14 alonga longitudinal vertical plane through the middle of the body. The bodyis formed with a hand hole 15. It is open at the bottom and at its frontend and at the forward portion of its upper end. Each of the bodyportions 12 has a side wall 16 from which extend inwardly, curvedportions 17 forming said hand hole 15. At the lower end of each of theside walls 16 is a longitudinal bottom edge 18. The

side walls 16 have rear ends 19. The upper portion of the rear end ofthe said walls 16 and the top portions thereof are curved as at 20meeting along the meeting plane 14. At their forward ends, side walls 16are formed with vertical shoulders 21 from which extend forwardly sidewalls 22 spaced further apart than side walls 16.

The side walls 22 have forward edges 23. The shoulder 21 has anintermediate semi-circular shoulder portion 21a. At the axis of shoulderportions 21a, side walls 22 are formed with aligned through-openings 24.The wall portions 20 are upwardly curved as at 20a at their forwardends. Extending from the upper ends of walls 20a are forwardly andupwardly inclined edges 25 merging with a downwardly curved edge 26 fromwhich extend downwardly and forwardly, inclined edges 27. The edges 27extend down to the forward edges 23. Forward edges 23 are formed withlongitudinal grooves 23a for the purpose hereinafter appearing. The sidewall portions 22 are formed adjacent the curved edges 26 with alignedthrough-openings 28.

Fitted over the front of the body is a front nose piece 32. Nose piece32 may be-made of hardened steel. It comprises a front wall 33 fromwhich extend rearwardly parallel side walls or flanges 34. The frontwall 33 has a bottom edge 35. The side walls 34 have bottom edges 36 inthe same plane as edges 35. The front wall 33 has a forwardly pressedsubstantially rectangular portion 38 for the purpose hereinafterappearing. Furthermore, said wall 33 is formed below the forwardlyspaced portion 38 with a. pair of parallel horizontally aligned verticalslots 39..

At the upper end of the front wall 33 is an upwardly and rearwardlyinclined wall 40 contacting the inclined edges and extending about halfway up said edges. Said side walls or flanges 34 contact the outersurfaces of the side walls 22 of the body. Side walls 34 are formed attheir rear ends with rear edges 41 extending upwardly from the loweredges 36. The rear edges 41 extend substantially from the lower ends ofthe semicircular shoulder portion 21a. Extending from edges 41 are edges42 following the semi-circular shoulder portions 21a. Extendingdownwardly and forwardly of the semi-circular edges 42 are inclinededges 43. Extending forwardly from the edges 43 are edges 44 disposedbelow slots b in side walls 22. Extending upwardly from the front endsof edges 44 are vertical edges 45. Extending from the upper ends ofedges 45 are rearwardly inclined edges 46 from which extend edges 47located around and spaced from openings in side walls 22. Edges 47extend up to the upper end of thefront wall 33. The upper ends of theside walls 34 thus comprise ears 48 and they are formed with openings 49registering with openings in the side wall portions 22, referred tohereinafter.

Extending through the registering openings 28, is a shaft 50 riveted atits ends as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing. The portion of the sidewalls 34 bounded by edges 42, 43 comprises cars 51 formed with throughopenings 51a registering with the openings 24 in the side wall portions22. Extending through registering openings 24, 51 is a bolt 53. Bolt 53is removable, for the purpose hereinafter appearing. It will now beunderstood that shaft 50 and bolt 53 serve to attach nose piece 32 tothe front of the body.

Mounted on the body 11 is a bottom stop member 55. Said bottom stopmember 55 is a metal plate and may be hardened. It is in horizontalposition as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and has side flanges 55a passingthrough slots 55b in side walls 22.

Attached onto the top surface of the bottom stop 55 is a shock absorber60 of the same shape as member 55 and overlying the same and made ofeither rubber, plastic or any other suitable material to absorb shocks.

Mounted on and between wall portions 22 is a top stop 61. Top stop 61 isformed with a plurality of downwardly pressed lips 63 arranged in acircle, for the purpose hereinafter appearing. Top stop 61 is disposedabove the bottom stop 55 and its shock absorber 60.

Slidably mounted within the front of the body and between side walls 22and adjacent the front wall of the nose piece 32, is a plunger member65. The same comprises a plunger cup 66 made ofa single sheet of metal,die cut and pressed to the shape shown in the drawing. The cup 66 has afront wall 67 from which extends rearwardly a wall 68. Extendingupwardly from the rear of wall 68 is a rear wall 69. Extendingrearwardly from the front wall 67 are side walls 70. The side walls 70are formed with rearwardly extending hooks 70a having upwardly andrearwardly inclined under edges 70b located substantially midway betweenthe front and rear ends of said side walls.

It will be noted that the cup is open at its upper end. lnserted withinthe cup and contacting the bottom wall 68 is the lower end of a coilcompression spring 72, the upper end of which contacts the underside ofthe top stop 61. The downwardly pressed lips 63 are received within theupper end of spring 72. Riveted to the front wall 67 as by rivet 73 is adriver blade 74 passing through registering slots in the bottom stop 55and the shock absorber 60, respectively. The head of the rivet 73 may bemoved through the recess formed by the forwardly pressed wall 38.

The front wall 67 has a forwardly pressed lip 75 contacting the upperedge of the blade 74. Also the front wall 67 has side extensions 77received within the groove 23a and contacting the rear surface of thefront wall 33. It will now be understood that the compression spring 72presses the plunger downwardly.

Means is provided for raising and releasing the plunger 65 to drive astaple from the magazine. To this end there is pivoted on the shaft 50 ahandle 85. Handle 85 has a top wall 86 from which extend side flanges87. Said flanges 87 are formed with through openings through which theshaft 50 passes. The said side flanges 87 fit over the side walls 34 ofthe front nose piece. The top wall 86 has a forwardly and downwardlyinclined extension 89 contacting the inclined edges 27. The lower end offlange 89 substantially meets the upper end of flange 40. On shaft 50and within the body is a torsion spring 91, one arm of which contactsthe underside of the top wall of the handle and the other arm of whichengages the back of top stop 61. Thus the torsion spring 91 tends toraise the handle.

Attached to the underside of the handle, rearwardly of the shaft 50, isa saddle 92 formed with a pair of downwardly extending apertured flanges93 carrying a transverse pivot pin 94. Pivoted to the pivot pin 94 anddisposed within the flanges 93 is a link 95. Link 95 has a pair of sidewalls 96 interconnected by a rear web 97. The lower ends of side walls96 carry a transverse pivot pin 98. Side walls 16 of the body members 11are formed with aligned openings registering with openings 49 andcarrying a transverse pivot pin 100 disposed below and forwardlyof thepivot pin 98.

Pivoted to the pivot pin 100 is a lever 10]. Lever 10! comprises sideflanges 102 interconnected by a bottom web 103. Side walls 102 haveupwardly and rearwardly extending arms formed with openings throughwhich the pivot pin 98 passes. Said side walls 102 also have downwardlyand forwardly inclined arms carrying a transverse pivot pin 105. Pivotedto the pivot pin 105 is the upper end of link 106. Link 106 has sidewalls 107 interconnected by front web 108. On the pivot pin 105 is atorsion spring 109 having one arm engaging the front edge of the web 103and a second arm contacting the back of the web 108. Thus torsion spring109 tends to swing the link 106 forwardly.

The side walls 16 of the body members 11 are formed with alignedthrough-openings through which pass a transverse pivot pin 110. Pivotedon the pivot' pin 110 is a trigger member 111. Trigger member 111 hasside walls 112 interconnected by a bottom web 113. Side walls 112 areformed adjacent their rear ends with kidney shaped openings 114 throughwhich pivot pin 110 passes. These kidney shaped openings 114 aresomewhat elongated but have a notch 1 15 at their rear lower ends, forthe purpose hereinafter appearing. The side walls 1 12 are in alignmentwith the side walls of the cup 66. Said side walls 112 have at theirforward ends upwardly projecting pointed portions 116 engaging underedges 70b of the hook 70a. Said side walls 112 are formed with alignedthrough openings rearwardly of the pointed portions 116 carrying atransverse pivot pin 119. The lower ends of the side walls 107 of thelinks 106 are formed with apertures through which the pivot pin passes.

It will be noted that the torsion spring 109 normally tends to press thetrigger 111 forwardly so that the pivot pin 110 is located at the rearend of the slots 114 and is engaged within the offset portions 115 ofsaid slots.

When the handle is in its normal up position and the plunger 65 rests onthe shock absorber 60, the parts are in the position shown in FIG. 1 ofthe drawing. When it is desired to operate the device, the handle 85 isdepressed causing the handle to swing downwardly about the shaft 50.Link is then pushed downwardly to rotate the lever 10] in a clockwisedirection about the pivot pin to raise the link 106 and thus swing thetrigger 111 in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin 1 10 to raisethe plunger 65. As the plunger is raised, the pointed ends of thetrigger slide upwardly and rearwardly along the under edges 70b of thehooks 70a. At a predetermined point in the vertical movement of theplunger, the pointed ends 116 move beyond the hooks and permit thecompressed spring 72 to cause the plunger to descend and at the sametime the driver blade will push out the foremost staple in the staplemagazine. As the plunger descends the hook 70a will move down below thepointed ends 116. When the handle is released the trigger 111 will swingin a counterclockwise direction down with the upward movement of thehandle.

The forward edges of the flanges 112 adjacent the pointed ends 116 arecurved or cammed downwardly and rearwardly as at 117. As the cammededges 117 contact the downwardly and forwardly curved or cammed edges70b of the hooks 70a (see FIG. 1), the trigger 111 is pushed rearwardlyagainst the tension of the torsion spring so that the trigger willby-pass the hooks a. During such movement the shaft of the pivot pinwill move out of the offset portion of the kidney shaped slot 114.

Elongation of the slot 1 l4 permits the trigger to move back. However,as soon as the pointed end 116 passes below the hook 70a, torsion spring109 will again snap the trigger forwardly and the pivot pin 117 willagain snap into the offset portions 115 of the slots 114 and then thetacker will again be in the position shown in FIG. 1.

At the lower end of the housing 11 is a staple magazine 130. Said staplemagazine comprises a staple magazine body 131 having a bottom wall 132from which vertical side walls 133 extend upwardly in spaced relation toside walls 22 of the body members 12. The upper ends 134 of side walls133 are curved inwardly. The bottom wall terminates at its front endrearwardly of wall 33 of the nose piece 32, as indicated by numeral 135.At the front ends of side walls 133 are flange extensions 136 passingthrough slots 39, to support the front end of the staple magazine to thebody 11.

At its rear end, side walls 133 have apertured ears 140 engaging athrough bolt 141 which passes through suitable openings in the housing11, to removably attach the rear end of the magazine to said housing.

Attached to the bottom wall 132 of magazine body 131 is a central stapleguide 145 extending longitudinally of the body. Said staple guide 145has a bottom wall 146 riveted as by rivets 147 to bottom wall 132.Extending up from bottom wall 146 are side walls 148 spaced inwardlyfrom walls 133 and having upper edges 149 spaced below the inwardlyturned edges 134 of the staple magazine body 131.

A staple strip 150 rides on the staple guide 145 and its staple havewebs 151 riding on said upper edges 149, and legs 152 riding in thespaces between side walls 148 and side walls 133. A spring pressedstaple strip pusher mechanism of well known construction pushes thestaple strip forwardly to press the forwardmost staple against the frontwall 33 of the nose piece 32 (when the plunger 74 is raised above thestaple strip). As the plunger is then moved downwardly, this foremoststaple is driven.

Since the forward ends of the side walls 133 of the magazine body 131extends forwardly of the bottom wall 132, it has been found that thelower ends thereof sometimes have a tendency to spread apart, belowflanges 136.

Means is provided to overcome this difficulty. To this end, the frontwall 33 of nose piece 32 is formed at its lower end with a pair ofrearwardly punched, vertical lugs or projections disposed in planes justoutside of side walls133, and engaging the forward end of said sidewalls below the flanges or wings 136, and thereby prevent said sidewalls from spreading apart while sta' ples are being driven.

When short leg staples are used, it has been found that when theforemost staple is being driven, it must move through a substantialdistance before the lower ends of the legs of the staple reach the baseor work piece. This is true of stapling machines for stapling wires to awall or floor etc. It has been found that with such machines, the lowerend of the foremost staple, as it is being driven, has a tendency toswing rearwardly. Means is hence provided to obviate this difficulty. Tothis end, the side walls 133 of the body 132 of the staple magazine arepunched inwardly to provide vertical aligned lugs or projectionsdisposed in the plane of the staple next to the foremost staple in thestaple strip, and below the lower ends of the legs of the staples in thestaple strip. With such construction, as the fore most staple is beingdriven downwardly, its legs will en gage in front of the lugs 175 toprevent said foremost, driven staple from swinging back, and to ensurethat said staple is driven vertically in the direction of the movementof the plunger and in its plane, without changing directions.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which theseveral objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adaptedto meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth,it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative.

I claim:

1. A stapling machine comprising a housing, a staple magazine comprisinga magazine body in said housing, a staple strip guide fixed to saidstaple magazine body, said magazine body having side walls, and means toprevent said side walls from spreading apart at their lower front ends,said prevent means comprising lugs on the housing engaging outer surfaceof the lower front ends of said side walls of said magazine body.

2. The combination of claim 1, said housing of the stapling machinehaving a front wall formed with parallel slots, said side walls of themagazine body having flanges above their lower ends, received in saidslots, said lugs extending rearwardly from said front wall and disposedbelow said slots to engage said outer surfaces of the lower front endsof said side walls of the staple magazine body.

3. The combination of claim 2,. said magazine body comprising a bottomwall interconnecting the lower ends of said side walls thereof, saidbottom wall terminating short of the forward ends of said side walls ofsaid magazine body.

4. The combination of claim 1, said staple strip guide having means toslidably support a staple strip, plunger means to drive the foremoststaple of the strip, downwardly, and means to prevent the lower end ofsaid foremost staple in the staple strip, from swinging rearwardly as itis being driven by said plunger means.

5. The combination of claim 4, said means to prevent rearward swingingof the driven staple, comprising lugs on the side walls of the staplemagazine body, extending inwardly therefrom, in a plane just rearwardlyof the path of driven staple, and located at the lower ends of said sidewalls, to engage the rear of the lower ends of the legs of the drivenstaple as said staple is being driven.

6. A stapling machine comprising a staple housing, a staple magazine insaid housing, said magazine comprising a body having parallel sidewalls, a staple strip guide fixed within said magazine body, to guide astaple strip between said body and guide, means to drive the foremoststaple in said staple strip, downwardly, and means to prevent the lowerend of the legs the foremost staple, from swinging rearwardly as it isbeing driven by said driving means, said prevent means comprising lugson said side walls of said staple magazine body, projecting inwardly ina plane just rearwardly of the foremost staple in the staple strip andadapted to engage the rear sides of the legs of said foremost drivenstaple, as said staple is being driven.

7. The combination of claim 6, said lugs being located near the lowerends of said side walls.

8. The combination of claim 1, said housing comprising a pair of housingparts, means to attach said housing parts together, a nose piece at thefront of said housing parts, said nose piece having a front wall, saidprevent means comprising a pair of lugs extending rearwardly from saidfront wall and engaging outer sides of the side walls of said magazinebody adjacent front ends of lower edges of said side walls, said sidewalls being interconnected by a bottom wall, the front edge of which isspaced rearwardly of the front ends of said side walls.

9. The combination of claim 10, a staple strip guide fixed to saidbottom wall and having side walls spaced inwardly of the side walls ofsaid magazine body, and

lugs at the inner sides of the side walls of said magazine body,projecting inwardly and located in a plane spaced from said front wallof said nose piece and adapted to back up the legs of a driven staple,as said staple is being driven.

10. The combination of claim 2, said staple strip guide having means toslidably support a staple strip, plunger means to drive the foremoststaple of the strip, downwardly, and means to prevent the lower end ofsaid foremost staple in the staple strip, from swinging rearwardly as itis being driven by said plunger means, said means to prevent rearwardswinging of the driven staple, comprising lugs on the side walls of thestaple magazine body, extending inwardly therefrom, in a plane justrearwardly of the path of driven staple, and located at the lower endsof said side walls, to engage the rear of the lower ends of the legs ofthe driven staple as said staple is being driven.

1. A stapling machine comprising a housing, a staple magazine comprising a magazine body in said housing, a staple strip guide fixed to said staple magazine body, said magazine body having side walls, and means to prevent said side walls from spreading apart at their lower front ends, said prevent means comprising lugs on the housing engaging outer surface of the lower front ends of said side walls of said magazine body.
 2. The combination of claim 1, said housing of the stapling machine having a front wall formed with parallel slots, said side walls of the magazine body having flanges above their lower ends, received in said slots, said lugs extending rearwardly from said front wall and disposed below said slots to engage said outer surfaces of the lower front ends of said side walls of the staple magazine body.
 3. The combInation of claim 2, said magazine body comprising a bottom wall interconnecting the lower ends of said side walls thereof, said bottom wall terminating short of the forward ends of said side walls of said magazine body.
 4. The combination of claim 1, said staple strip guide having means to slidably support a staple strip, plunger means to drive the foremost staple of the strip, downwardly, and means to prevent the lower end of said foremost staple in the staple strip, from swinging rearwardly as it is being driven by said plunger means.
 5. The combination of claim 4, said means to prevent rearward swinging of the driven staple, comprising lugs on the side walls of the staple magazine body, extending inwardly therefrom, in a plane just rearwardly of the path of driven staple, and located at the lower ends of said side walls, to engage the rear of the lower ends of the legs of the driven staple as said staple is being driven.
 6. A stapling machine comprising a staple housing, a staple magazine in said housing, said magazine comprising a body having parallel side walls, a staple strip guide fixed within said magazine body, to guide a staple strip between said body and guide, means to drive the foremost staple in said staple strip, downwardly, and means to prevent the lower end of the legs the foremost staple, from swinging rearwardly as it is being driven by said driving means, said prevent means comprising lugs on said side walls of said staple magazine body, projecting inwardly in a plane just rearwardly of the foremost staple in the staple strip and adapted to engage the rear sides of the legs of said foremost driven staple, as said staple is being driven.
 7. The combination of claim 6, said lugs being located near the lower ends of said side walls.
 8. The combination of claim 1, said housing comprising a pair of housing parts, means to attach said housing parts together, a nose piece at the front of said housing parts, said nose piece having a front wall, said prevent means comprising a pair of lugs extending rearwardly from said front wall and engaging outer sides of the side walls of said magazine body adjacent front ends of lower edges of said side walls, said side walls being interconnected by a bottom wall, the front edge of which is spaced rearwardly of the front ends of said side walls.
 9. The combination of claim 10, a staple strip guide fixed to said bottom wall and having side walls spaced inwardly of the side walls of said magazine body, and lugs at the inner sides of the side walls of said magazine body, projecting inwardly and located in a plane spaced from said front wall of said nose piece and adapted to back up the legs of a driven staple, as said staple is being driven.
 10. The combination of claim 2, said staple strip guide having means to slidably support a staple strip, plunger means to drive the foremost staple of the strip, downwardly, and means to prevent the lower end of said foremost staple in the staple strip, from swinging rearwardly as it is being driven by said plunger means, said means to prevent rearward swinging of the driven staple, comprising lugs on the side walls of the staple magazine body, extending inwardly therefrom, in a plane just rearwardly of the path of driven staple, and located at the lower ends of said side walls, to engage the rear of the lower ends of the legs of the driven staple as said staple is being driven. 